Lincoln Premium Poultry, a company with family connections to Crider Foods, said to be operator of proposed poultry plant

The Greater Fremont Development Council (GFDC), in a press release issued on April 14, revealed that it had been working with Costco Wholesale Corporation, which ultimately chose the Fremont area as the location for the plant.

“We are delighted that Costco is strongly considering the greater Fremont area and Dodge County for its new facility,” Cecilia Harry, GFDC executive director said. “Costco has an excellent reputation as a responsible American corporation. This poultry operation would be an economic boost to the region, providing jobs, economic diversity for family farms and an opportunity for younger farmers to stay in the area.”

The announcement puts an end to speculation about what company the organization had been working with, as news of the proposed plant began to circulate in late March.

Plant would be run by Lincoln Premium Poultry

According to GFDC, the new poultry plant represents an investment in $180 million in capital in the region and would create about 1,100 new jobs.

While GFDC only identified Costco as the company behind the proposed plant, a report in the Omaha World-Herald linked a Lincoln Premium Poultry as the company that would run the plant. The name Lincoln Premium Poultry LLC became incorporated in the State of Nebraska in February.

Lincoln Premium Poultry is run by Bill Crider, a member of the family that operates the Georgia-based Crider Foods. Crider Foods, according to its website, is a market leader in canned chicken, as well as a major producer of canned turkey, ham, pork and beef. Crider Foods produces canned chicken for Costco.

Project still pending

While Harry announced the proposed poultry plant project, the new plant is still pending.

She stated that Costco has more due diligence to perform. A number of public meetings also remain to be held involving the project, which will include input from the public.

Additional opportunities to area farmers

If the plant becomes a reality, a number of contract farmers will be needed to raise the chickens to be processed. GFDC estimated that between 75 and 100 growers would be needed.

The economic development organization said that the process of getting those poultry farms established would bring n an additional $136 million in capital investment to the rural economy.

Area corn and soybean farmers would also benefit, GFDC stated, as an estimated 300,000 bushels of corn and 3,000 tons of soybean meal would be needed weekly for poultry feed.